The Souls of The Damned
by Avril Lambert
Summary: The sequel to "The Damned". Read the original story before reading this.
1. Chapter 1

**I was going to wait to work on the sequel to The Damned until after I finished Why Are You Crying?, but I couldn't wait. So here it is. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"Do you fear death?"

Kida and Gaston were forced to their knees by Ursula. The hard wood of the Flying Dutchman's deck stung Kida's knees on impact, but she didn't flinch.

"No," Gaston replied firmly, not taking his eyes off the man, rather the creature, named Davy Jones.

As long as Kida had been exposed to the sea and sailors and pirates she had heard of Davy Jones Locker, but she had always thought Davy Jones was a myth. But now he stood in front of her and to say he was grotesque would be a vast understatement. He was tall with one human leg, but his right leg was that of a crab leg which somewhat resembled a peg leg. His left arm was a crab-like claw, while his right hand had tentacles instead of fingers. His skin was wet and had a greenish tint to it. His face was the most horrifying, though. Like his right hand, it had long slimy tentacles and had no human features at all; in fact instead of a nose he had a siphon-like tentacle on the left side of his face. On the back of his head he had a large sac sticking out from under his hat, which made his head as a whole look like an octopus. Kida had to lower her head to keep from showing how terrified she was of him.

"Do you fear death?" Davy Jones asked her. His face was close to hers and his breath reeked of death; she had to keep her mouth closed to avoid vomiting. He wrapped his tentacle fingers around her chin and lifted her face up towards his. Kida kept a stern face and looked him right in his dead eyes.

"No."

Davy Jones whipped her head to the side, then turned to address his crew. "Kill them both."

Kida glared at his back, then kicked out her leg and tripped him. His legs flew out from under him and he fell to the deck with a hard thud. She bent over him and spit in his face. The crew charged over to her, but Davy Jones stopped them.

"Wait!" Davy Jones demanded as he stood up, using a barnacle covered wooden stick as a crutch. He now towered over Kida and due to his lack of human features, his face showed no emotion. "Who are you?"

"My name is Captain Kida, and this is Gaston. You're not going to kill us, you're going to make us part of your crew."

Davy Jones laughed. "Am I now?"

"Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Unlike the rest of your recruited crew, we are not dead nor are we dying. We're strong and would be valuable assets to you."

Davy Jones was now studying Kida. "I have no use for a woman on my crew."

"I've killed every enemy I've come up against."

"Why do you want to join our crew?"

"Even though I do not fear death, I would still rather not die."

"Very well," Davy Jones said after a few moments. "I will give you both one day as part of my crew on a trial basis. If you don'tlive up to you've told me, I will personally remove your lying tongue and kill you both."

Kida smirked at the horrid creature. "One day is all we need."

-X-X-X-

Kida and Gaston kept to themselves the rest of the day. They did everything Davy Jones told them and stayed out of trouble. Kida did her best to ignore the lustful looks of the sea creature crew, but she was painfully aware of them. Her skin felt like it was crawling every time she caught one of their glances. When it was time for bed, Kida stayed close to Gaston and he was more than happy to be her bodyguard. It was a strange feeling for Kida to be sleeping on a worn out hammock among the rest of the crew instead of in her own bed. She couldn't wait to be back on her own ship.

"Everyone's asleep," Gaston whispered.

Kida nodded and the two of them quietly snuck out of the sleeping chambers. There was a room near Davy Jones' captain's quarters where he kept an old piano organ and his heart. Everyone who has ever sailed knows the legend of Davy Jones and his heart. According to the stories, whoever has Davy Jones' heart can control him. That was exactly what Kida was going to do.

Kida and Gaston had no trouble finding Davy Jones' capatin's quarters. He was asleep and making a weird gurggling snoring sound. Gaston kept watch as Kida carefully took the key to the heart's chest from one of Davy Jones' tentacles. He stirred slightly in his sleep, but Kida and Gaston didn't stick around long enough to see if he would wake up. They hurried towards the other room, side stepping guards asleep at their posts.

The chest was in the center of the room guarded by one creature that was still awake. Kida slipped Gaston the key and walked in ahead of him.

"Hi there, big boy," Kida greeted the disgusting man.

"You shouldn't be in here."

"I wanted to see you." Kida did her best to sound flirty, but she was struggling since the mere sight of this guard made her want to vomit. "I've been hoping to find you."

"Why?"

"I want to show you something." Kida slowly lifted up her top, exposing herself to the creature.

At first he just stared at her, then he reach hesitantly reached out to touch her. Just as he did, Gaston came out from behind her and grabbed his arm. With very little effort, Gaston broke the guard's hand and then pulled out his knife and stabbed him in the eye. He tossed the body to the side, then unlocked the chest and pulled out the small sack that contained the heart. Kida held her breath as she waited to see the heart beat. When it did, she and Gaston exchanged smiles.

They immediately made their way back to Davy Jones' room and woke him up. When he saw Kida holding his heart and Gaston holding a knife just above it, he froze in fear.

"You're under our control now," Gaston told him.

"I want you to attack the next ship we come across and give it to me. Then, I want you to help me find The Damned and kill everyone aboard it."


	2. Chapter 2

After the battle with Ursula, Hercules let the crew go on leave for a few weeks. He and Meg opted to stay on the ship, though, since they would have it completely to themselves. Meg had lost count of how many times they had made love in the last week. Now they were lying in the bed that had once been Kida and Gaston's; it was a large bed and the first bed either of them had slept in since joining the crew of The Damned.

"It doesn't get better than this," Meg said as she snuggled up closer to Hercules' bare body. She ran her hand over his chest. His heart was still racing and she smiled at him. "I could stay just like this forever."

Hercules lightly ran his hand over her back. The feel of his fingers on her skin gave her chills. "Me too. But the crew will return eventually and we need a destination."

"Let's get lost somewhere. No map, no compass; just go wherever the wind takes us."

"I like that plan."

Meg propped herself up so she was looking down at Hercules. "I love you, Captain Hercules."

Hercules smiled. "I love you, too, Meg."

Meg bent over him and kissed his chest. She left a trail of kisses down his torso to his hard abs. Hercules had a perfect body; so muscular and strong. Meg could hardly control herself when he was shirtless. Hercules let out a small sigh. She moved her mouth up to his neck. She brushed the tip of her tongue over his skin, then nibbled his ear, knowing it would drive him crazy. Hercules moaned softly and gently gripped her head. She kissed his neck again and then he pulled her face to his and claimed her mouth. His kiss was passionate and sweet.

"Meg," Hercules whispered desperately between kisses. "Marry me?"

Meg was completely taken by surprise and broke the kiss. Hercules kept his hand in her hair and stroked her cheek with her thumb. She studied his face to see if he was joking, but he just pulled her back into a tender kiss.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Meg asked, breaking the kiss again. "You're not just asking me that because you're caught up in the moment?"

"Meg, I've wanted to marry you for a long time now. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you."

A couple of tears rolled down Meg's cheeks. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Hercules carefully wiped the tears off her cheek with his thumb then brushed his fingertips over her lips.

"I'm so happy," Meg whispered.

Hercules smiled at her. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes." Meg pulled him into a kiss. "That's a hell yes."

Hercules reached over and opened the drawer in the small table beside the bed. He then took Meg's left hand in his and slipped a ring on her finger. It had a silver band with a couple small diamonds set in it and a perfectly cut amethyst set on top.

"Oh, Hercules, it's beautiful," Meg breathed. "When did we steal something like this?"

"We didn't steal it. This was my mother's engagement ring." Hercules kissed the tip of her finger. "She told me when I found the perfect woman, I should give it to her."

X X X

Aladdin couldn't help feeling uncomfortable as he walked into Jasmine's palace. For reasons he would never understand, Jasmine wanted him to meet her father. Aladdin was sure this wasn't going to end well. The princess was crazy if she thought her father would give his blessing to a pirate who was part of the crew that took her prisoner. They went into the throne room and found the Sultan reading through a scroll. He looked up when they came in.

"Jasmine, dearest! There you are! I was so worried about you."

"I can see that." The sarcasm in Jasmine's voice was obvious to Aladdin, but her father didn't catch it.

"What happened to you? You were supposed to meet Prince Achmed."

Jasmine glanced nervously at Aladdin. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Father, this is Aladdin."

The Sultan eyed Aladdin, sizing him up. "What are you getting at, dearest?"

"I love him."

"What is your station, boy?" The Sultan asked. "Prince? Lord? Knight, perhaps?"

"No, sir. I'm a pirate," Aladdin stated.

"What is the meaning of this, Jasmine?" The Sultan demanded.

"Aladdin is the man who saved me."

"Jasmine, do I have to remind you what the law says? It says only a prince-"

"The law," Jasmine interrupted, "is wrong. I love Aladdin and I have chosen _him._"

"If you think I'm going to let this pirate rule _my _kingdom-"

"I don't expect that, father. Actually, I'm leaving with Aladdin and joining his crew."

The Sultan gaped at Jasmine. "You're not serious."

"I'm very serious. I'm letting you know so you don't send anyone out looking for me. But, you can't stop me."

"So, you're choosing the life a criminal over the life of a princess?" There was no mistaking the anger in his voice.

"No, father. I'm choosing a life with Aladdin."

Whether or not Jasmine could see it, Aladdin could; she was heading quickly down a path that could ruin the relationship between her and her father forever. Aladdin hadn't asked Jasmine to stay with him, but it was what they both wanted. Still, he would feel guilty if Jasmine ruined her relationship with her father because of him. But, Jasmine was stubborn and had already made up her mind. Before her father could say anything else, Jasmine and Aladdin were walking out of the palace and heading to the ship that would take them to The Damned.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been years since Aurora was home last. Even though everything looked exactly the same, it felt unfamiliar. She stood on the dock and stared at the village in front of her. She didn't recognize anyone. She wasn't sure if she had been expecting to, since she didn't really remember anyone from this part of her life. Except Phillip; the reason she was back here.

"Can I help you, miss?" A dirty man with a gruff voice asked her.

"Probably not, but I'm looking for a man named Phillip. He'd be a young man, around my age." The man eyed her a little too long and she glared at him. "Do you know him or not?"

"I've seen him," the man said. "He lives in the first house past the blacksmith."

"Thank you." Aurora walked past the man and made her way through the town. It was then that she realized the village had actually changed since the last time she was there and she didn't know her way around.

It took her a while to find the blacksmith, but after that it was easy to find the house the man at the dock said was Phillip's. It was dark now and she wasn't sure if it would be appropriate to knock on his door. But she had come this far and she may as well go the rest of the way now. Aurora smoothed down her hair and adjusted her clothes, then lightly tapped on the door. She heard movement come from inside the house and she instantly felt nervous. What if he didn't recognize her? What if he didn't even want to see her?

Phillip opened the door and stared at Aurora in shock; he recognized her. She managed to give him a small smile.

"Hi, Phillip."

Phillip glanced behind him, then stepped outside and closed the door. "Aurora, is it really you?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing here?"

So far this wasn't the greeting she had been hoping for, but it could be worse. "I wanted to see you."

"Where have you been? I thought you were dead."

"I've been through a lot, Phillip, and I've missed you the whole time."

"I missed you, too."

Aurora nervously ran her hand through her hair. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"I can't. I'm married now."

Aurora knew this would be a possibility, but hearing it cut through her heart like shattered glass. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Of course. I-I should have known you would be. I'm sorry I bothered you." She quickly turned around and started walking away.

"Rose, wait!" Phillip called after her.

Aurora froze. Briar Rose was a special pet name Phillip had given her a long time ago. She didn't think he remembered it. She slowly turned to face him. Phillip walked over to her and took her hand.

"I thought you were dead. One night you just disappeared and I didn't know what happened to you. I tried looking for you, but I couldn't find you. I mourned you for a long time and I was driving myself crazy. My parents didn't think I could handle being alone, so they arranged for me to get married. But, I never stopped loving you."

X X X

Jim woke up to a kiss on his forehead. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at John. When Hercules granted everyone leave for a few weeks, Jim and John went to a deserted island John knew of so they could be alone. The island was paradise and every moment so far had been perfect. They slept in a cave on the far side of the island near a lake and waterfall. The sun now shone into the cave and glistened in John's hair. John was shirtless, like he had been the entire time they had been on the island, and Jim still couldn't get over how handsome he was.

"Good morning," John greeted, returning the smile. He rested his hand on Jim's chest. "I'm going for a swim; do you want to join me?"

"Definitely."

John helped Jim up and then led him outside. The sun was still rising so the temperature wasn't too hot, yet. They made their way to the lake and then stripped off their clothes. Jim limbed on top of a large boulder and jumped off of it. The water felt good as it surrounded him. He resurfaced in time to see John dive off the rock. All of his muscles flexed and he gracefully fell into the water like an angel. When he surfaced, the water flowed off his body as if it was caressing his skin. He swam towards Jim and as soon as he was close enough, Jim pulled him into a kiss. John's kiss was firm, but gentle. Jim needed more and his kiss became more intense and hungry. John carefully separated his mouth from Jim's.

"Jim, I'm not ready for that yet."

John was Jim's again, but John was still on guard around him. No matter what Jim said, it couldn't take away or change what he did to John. It was obvious that at times John was sad when he looked at Jim. They came to this island hoping they could mend things between them, but clearly Jim had done more damage than he had thought. Every day had romantic and intimate moments, but it wasn't the same. John was hesitant and there was no passion.

Jim put his hand on John's chest. "I'm going to fix this."

"You've done everything you can do. I just need more time," John told him. "But, being with you helps. I know how much you love me. But I can't go through that pain again."

"I will never hurt you again."

"I want to believe you and someday I will. But-"

Jim interrupted him with a short, soft kiss. "You deserve better than me."

"I only want you."


	4. Chapter 4

Meg could tell there was tension between John and Jim when they returned to the ship, but she didn't bother to get involved with what was going on with them. She had something else on her mind. She went into Hercules' office and quietly closed the door behind her. He looked up from some papers he was going through and smiled at her.

"Hi, beautiful," Hercules greeted.

"Hi."

"What can I do for you?"

"I need a favor."

"Anything you want."

"I want to go back home so I can tell my mom and sister about our engagement."

"Of course."

Meg smiled excitedly at her fiancée. "Really?"

"Yes. We'll head out right away while most of the crew is still on leave."

"Thank you so much, Hercules. I can't wait for them to meet you."

X X X

They arrived in Meg's home village just a couple days later. The members of the crew who had already returned took the opportunity to get off the ship one last time before they went back out on sea without a known time frame of when they'd be on land again. Meg put on one of the nicer dresses that Kida had left behind and did her best to make herself look more like a respectable woman and less like a pirate. Although, when it came right down to it she could put on a pretty dress, fix her hair and paint her face, but she was still a pirate. At least she would look nice when she saw her mom again for the first time in years.

"Are you ready?" Hercules asked her.

Meg nodded. They made their way off the ship and Meg led him through the village. Meg's house had been just outside of the marketplace, secluded in a clearing. As they reached the outskirts of the village, Meg's heart raced in anticipation. She knew without a doubt they would accept Hercules; he was perfect. But, would they even welcome her back? She had been gone so long and had chosen to live a lifestyle that her mother would not approve of.

Every concern Meg had vanished as soon as they reached the clearing where her house _should _have been. Instead she found the burned remains of her family's house. At some point while she had been gone her house had burned down and now all that was left of it was the ashen foundation, part of a wall and a broken window. Meg slowly walked towards the house and ran her hand along the edge of the wall.

"Meg?"

Meg had momentarily forgotten Hercules was there. She turned to acknowledge him, but something lying under a thin layer of dust and ashes caught her eye. She knelt down and picked it up. It was a metal star with a small blue sea glass stone set in the middle. At least, that's what it used to be. The star had melted slighty and was now deformed- no doubt from the fire. The blue stone was now black. Meg turned it over. On the back the name _Kayley _was in engraved into it.

"Who's Kayley?" Hercules asked her.

"My sister," Meg managed to choke out. "She used to wear this on a ribbon around her neck all the time; she never took it off. My father gave it to her before he left to fight in the war."

"Did he die in the war?"

Meg was only half listening to Hercules. She looked around and spotted the small farm on the other side of the clearing. It had belonged to the Van Tassels when Meg's parents moved into this house, but their daughter Katrina eventually married Brom Bones and he inherited the farm. They still lived there when Meg left and she hoped they lived there still and knew what happened to her house. She slowly stood up and faced Hercules.

"I don't know," Meg finally replied. "He was still alive and fighting when I left. But, that was a long time ago."

Meg gathered the bottom of her dress in her hands, then started running towards the farm. She heard Hercules call after her, but she didn't stop. When she reached the house, she pounded on the door.

"Please be here," she whispered to herself.

Hercules caught up to her just as the door opened and Katrina stepped out. It was clear she didn't recognize Meg at first.

"Katrina, it's me; Meg."

"Oh, wow, Meg; I didn't think I'd see you again."

"Katrina, what happened to my house and my family?"

Katrina gave her a sad look. "I'm so sorry, Meg. Your house burned down one night a few years ago and we never saw any of them again."

A cold fear squeezed Meg's heart. "W-were they in the house?"

Katrina slowly nodded. "Yes, they were home at the time."

X X X

Jim and John stayed on the ship while the rest of the crew wandered around Meg's village. They were alone on the ship and Jim had hoped to have some more time to be with John, but John was too busy going over some work Hercules had left him to pay attention to Jim. Still, Jim stayed in the office, but kept to himself. He didn't want to bother John, but at the same time he still wanted to be with him.

John looked up at Jim and gave him a crooked smile. "You're handsome, Jim Hawkins." Jim raised an eyebrow at him, not sure how to respond to that. "I don't know how I'm supposed to get any work done with you sitting in here. You're a distraction."

"I'm sorry." Jim stood up and started walking towards the door.

John came out from around his desk and grabbed Jim's arm before he could leave. "I didn't say I wanted you to leave."

"I don't understand; you said I was distracting you from your work, so what do you want me to do?"

"Kiss me."

Jim didn't hesitate before giving John what he wanted. John's kiss was the same has it had been the whole time they were on the island: firm, gentle, guarded. Jim kissed him tenderly and didn't let himself lose control. However, the kiss was cut short when the office door slammed open. About eight men Jim had never seen before barged in. They instantly seized Jim and John. They tried to fight to get free, but they were greatly outnumbered. Once they were completely restrained, another man walked in. He was tall with tan skin, black hair and dark eyes. He was attractive in a dangerous kind of way. He ignored Jim and walked straight over to John.

"I've been looking for you, John," the man said.

"What do you want, Sinbad?" John demanded.

Jim stared at Sinbad. _That's_ who had been John's lover before him? How could Jim possibly compete with someone like that? Sinbad was all man, while Jim was just a boy.

"I want you back," Sinbad replied.

Jim's heart pounded and he thought it would burst right out of his chest. He looked over at John. John's face was expressionless, but his eyes were intense.

"I don't want you, Sinbad," John stated. "I love someone else."

Sinbad glanced over at Jim and smiled. "The kid? You'll tire of him soon enough. You need a real man."

"Jim is a hundred times more of a man than you will ever be."

Sinbad glared at him. "I'll show you." He nodded at his crew. "Bring John, leave the kid."

The men holding John started dragging him out of the office. John struggled to get away, but it was futile. The other men let go of Jim and followed them out of the office. Jim immediately grabbed the sword John kept in his office and ran after them. They were already off The Damned and making their to another ship that was preparing to set sail. Jim kept chasing after them but he couldn't reach them in time. Without thinking, Jim dropped the sword and dove into the water. He swam as fast as he could, but it was no use; he would never be able to catch the ship. He swam back to the dock and pulled himself out of the water. Hercules and Meg were just returning to the ship then.

"Jim? What were you doing in the water?" Hercules asked.

"Sinbad boarded the ship and took John. We have to go after him."

Hercules frowned. "We will. But we have to wait for the rest of the crew to return or we'll be outnumbered and we'll lose."

"We can't wait that long." Jim was starting to panic.

"Why did Sinbad take John?" Meg asked, although the distant look in her eyes suggested she was thinking of something else entirely.

"He said he wants him back," Jim told her. "If he hurts John in anyway, I'm going to kill him."


	5. Chapter 5

Aladdin followed Jasmine as they boarded The Damned. She turned to glance behind her. Even though they were no longer in her kingdom, Aladdin knew this was her way of saying goodbye to it. When she caught Aladdin looking at her, she smiled at him, then turned around boarded the ship. Aladdin took Jasmine's hand and led her down to the brig. She eyed the cell she had once been locked in, then gave Aladdin a confused look.

"Why did you bring me down here?"

"It's a reminder of your time on this ship, Princess."

"I don't understand. Why would you want me to remember being a prisoner?"

"I think you're making a mistake by choosing this life over your old life."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and started walking away. "How many times do we have to go over this, Aladdin?"

Aladdin cut her off and put his hands on her shoulders. "Jasmine, I just want you to be happy. I don't want you regretting your choice."

Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest. "My choice to become a pirate or my choice to be with you?"

"Both." Aladdin sighed and let go of her. "This life isn't safe or glamorous and I _know _you can do better than me. You deserve a prince-"

Jasmine interrupted him by putting her finger on his lips. "Aladdin, I'm a princess; I was in line to rule an entire kingdom. I don't make decisions without thinking it through, first. I wouldn't have chosen you and this life if I wasn't absolutely sure it was what I wanted."

Aladdin kissed her fingertip and she moved her hand. "Won't you miss your father and your old life?"

Jasmine bit her lip. "I will for a little bit, I suppose. But what am I really giving up? I mean, you were right about my father; he's more concerned with his fortune and power than with my life."

"That's not true; I didn't mean that."

Jasmine ran her hand through Aladdin's hair. "It's all right. The bottom line is: I want to be with _you_, Aladdin. Nothing else matters."

Aladdin studied her face for a moment for a sign that she was unsure, but she was completely serious. "If, at any time, you change your mind, you're free to go. You're no longer a prisoner; I won't keep you here if you don't want to stay."

Jasmine turned around and ran her hand over the bars of her former cell. "Being your prisoner was never that bad." She opened the cell door and stepped inside. She then gripped the door frame and leaned forward a little to look at Aladdin. "It was in this very cell that I had to convince you the first time that I love you. Now here we are having the exact same conversation all over again. Why do you still not get it?"

"Jasmine, it's not that I doubt your feelings for me," Aladdin replied, walking over to her. "I just want to make sure this is really what you want. Once you're seen as a pirate that's who you'll be for the rest of your life. You'll be stuck in this life forever and just-"

"Trapped?" Jasmine finished for him.

"Yes."

"Aladdin, I was trapped in my old life. I was always being told how to dress, what to do and say. I was who my _father_ wanted to be, not me. Now it doesn't matter if I'm called a princess or a pirate; for the first time in my life, I don't have to care what other people think of me." Jasmine paused and reached out to touch Aladdin's cheek. "When I'm here, when I'm with you, I can finally be the real me and _that's _what I really want."

X X X

Jim was in John's room. Meg knew he would be; he spent all of his free time there since Sinbad took John. Meg hadn't stopped thinking about her mom and sister and she really needed a distraction. Hercules was busy trying to find Sinbad and spent all of his time bent over maps with Eric. So, Meg decided to talk to Jim. Maybe trying to comfort Jim with his problem would make her forget her own... at least for a few minutes, anyway.

Meg knocked on the door, but didn't wait for a response before going in. Jim was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He glanced at Meg when she walked in. Meg walked over to the bed and sat down next to Jim.

"How are you holdin' up?" Meg asked him.

"Meg, my boyfriend was just captured by his ex."

"His sexy ex."

"Meg..."

"Oh come on, Jim; you can't deny Sinbad is attractive."

"Why are you here?" Jim snapped.

"You're not gonna feel any better if you keep all of your anxiety built up inside. You're just gonna drive yourself crazy."

Jim sat up and gave Meg a wary look. A few moments passed before he finally said, "I can't compete with Sinbad."_  
_

"Who said you have to?"

"Sinbad. He wants John back and he's gonna do whatever it takes to make it happen. John told me Sinbad is charming and he fell for him once; who's to say he won't fall for him again? I mean, things were a little rocky between John and me and Sinbad can use John's vulnerability to-"

Meg interrupted Jim by laughing. "You're so young, Jim."

"I know; that's the problem. Sinbad is all man and-"

"Jim, stop." Meg reached out and put her hand on Jim's. "I meant you have a lot to learn about love and relationships. Somebody can't be stolen if they don't want to be. If John really loves you and only wants you, then there's nothing in the world Sinbad can do to take him away from you."

"What if he doesn't only want me? I hurt him pretty bad, Meg. It would be so easy for Sinbad to be all charming and perfect and John could get caught up in everything and fall for Sinbad again."

"That won't happen. Sinbad hurt him once before."

"But, he didn't break his heart."

"Sinbad never had John's heart to break. John's in love with you, Jim; _you _have his heart. If there was ever a competition for John, you would win _every_ time."


	6. Chapter 6

Aurora couldn't believe she was kissing Phillip. She had long ago given up the idea of ever being with him again; too much time had passed since they last saw each other and they were both different people now. Still, their attraction to each other never ceased. His lips rarely parted from hers and it felt so right- as long as she didn't think about the fact that his lips now belonged to another woman. To Aurora's surprise, it was easier than she thought to ignore the immorality of the situation. The old Aurora would not have even gone near another woman's husband and she certainly never would have kissed him. But she supposed being a pirate on a ship called The Damned implied she was not a moral person and she had no problem living up to the reputation that came along with the title.

"Rose," Phillip whispered as he nibbled her ear. Aurora sighed in response. "Rose, we should be together." Phillip moved his mouth back up to hers and kissed her.

Aurora kissed him back. His lips were feather soft and gentle, despite his urgent and almost aggressive passion. He repositioned himself so he was now lying op top of Aurora on the couch. Yes; Aurora was making out with a married man in his and his wife's house. The old Aurora would have a heart attack if she saw this right now.

Aurora let out a quiet moan as Phillip began kissing the bare skin just above her corset. He ran his hands over her body and Aurora was ready to give herself to him right then and there. But thoughts of being intimate with Phillip were quickly replaced by the memory of her last night with Gaston. Her eyes flew open and she gently pushed Phillip off her.

"What's wrong?" Phillip asked.

"Nothing. I, um, just need to take a breather." Aurora picked up her glass of wine and took a sip. What she needed was a distraction. "So, Phillip, tell me about your wife."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just curious. I mean, that was gonna be me one day."

"Well, there isn't much to tell."

Aurora waited for Phillip to elaborate, but he didn't. "Why are you being so secretive, Phillip? Is she someone I know?"

Phillip leaned forward leaned forward and kissed Aurora. "Come on, Rose; I don't want to talk about my wife right now."

Aurora closed her eyes, but only saw Gaston's face again. She cleared her throat and shifted away from Phillip. "You said your parents arranged the marriage."

Phillip sighed. "I did."

"Do you love her?"

"Why do you want to talk about this?"

"I just-"

Aurora was interrupted by someone trying to get in the house. Whoever was outside pushed on the door, but it didn't open.

"Phillip, are you in there?"

Aurora's breath caught in her throat. The woman's voice was familiar to her; too familiar. Phillip jumped off the couch and unlocked the door. Aurora slowly stood up as his wife walked in. As soon as she saw Aurora she stopped in her tracks.

"Hello, Odette," Aurora greeted.

"A-Aurora, is that really you?" Odette had a basket in her hand and she slowly set it down on the floor, not taking her eyes off Aurora.

"It's me."

Odette hurried towards Aurora and hugged her. "Oh, Aurora, thank God; I thought you were dead."

Aurora remained stiff and didn't hug her back. "God doesn't really have anything to do with it."

Odette took an awkward step back. "I'm glad you're all right."

"I should go." Aurora walked passed Odette and glared at Phillip as she stormed out of the house.

"Rose, wait!"

Aurora ignored Phillip and started running. He chased after her, grabbed her arm and spun her around. Aurora immediately shoved him away from her.

"My sister, Phillip? You married my _sister_?" Aurora cried out in anger.

"Rose, just listen to me. We didn't plan for this to happen. We were both grieving over you and found comfort in each other."

"You lied to me! How could you guys do this to me?"

"We thought you were dead."

"Tell me, Phillip: did you jump into bed together as soon as I left or did you wait a whole day?"

Aurora tried walking away, but Phillip was still holding onto her arm.

"It wasn't like that," Phillip said, quietly. "Rose, I-"

"No. Don't you dare call me that. It's _Aurora_."

"I wasn't lying when I told you I still love you. To me being with Odette was my way of still being close to you. She's your sister and she looks so much like you. I couldn't let you go."

Aurora narrowed her eyes at him. "That's twisted."

Phillip pulled Aurora close to him and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I love you, Rose. Please don't leave me again."

Phillip leaned forward to kiss her, but Aurora put her fingers on his lips and stopped him. "You married Odette. Be with her."

X X X

Vanessa slowly walked across the deck of the Flying Dutchman, enjoying the looks the crew were giving her. She was still getting used to constantly changing from Ursula to Vanessa, but she had to admit she preferred the form of Vanessa. It was nice to be seen as beautiful for a change, instead of disgusting.

Davy Jones was at the helm of the ship, looking down at a compass in his claw hand. Vanessa walked up to him and kissed his slimy face.

"Hello, darling," she greeted.

Davy Jones wrapped his tentacle fingers around her face. "Ursula, my love; it's good to see you again." He was the only one who thought she was beautiful in both forms: the grotesque octopus and the young maiden.

"You look distressed," Vanessa pointed out. "What's wrong?"

"The princess and her brute tricked me. They've taken my heart."

Vanessa frowned. "I'll get it back."

"They're gone. They made me get them a ship. I have no idea where they are."

Vanessa smiled at him. "Don't fear, love. There is a king who lives under the sea and he possesses a powerful trident. With it we can control the sea and all within it. I will steal it and use it to get your heat back."


	7. Chapter 7

"This is impossible," Phoebus muttered. "How are we supposed to know where Sinbad is or where he's going?"

"I don't know," Hercules admitted.

"Why are we even doing this?" Shang asked from across the office. "Why don't we just let John be gay with Sinbad? Why should we take a risk for him?"

Meg unsheathed her sword and stormed over to Shang. She held the blade of the sword against his throat. "John is the first mate of this ship _and _my friend; you _will_ show him some respect, gunner, or I'll kill you myself."

Shang laughed, clearly not intimidated by Meg. She swung her sword and in one swift motion managed to leave a huge gash in his bicep.

"What the hell?" Shang cried out, immediately putting his hand over the wound.

Meg sheathed her sword, not taking her eyes off the blood pouring down his arm. "I'd have Anastasia tend to that if I were you; before you bleed to death."

Shang started out of the office. "Bitch."

Meg let the comment roll off her and turned back to where Hercules and some of the sailors were gathered around his desk. They were all staring at her. she put her hands on her hips. "Anyone else want to question why we're doing this?"

No one said anything, they just went back to studying the maps, except Hercules; he walked over to Meg and pulled her outside of the office.

"Is everything all right?" Hercules asked.

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's not really like you to attack the crew like that."

"Shang was out of line," Meg stated.

"He was just tired and frustrated. None of slept last night; we stayed up all night trying to narrow down Sinbad's coordinates and after all that we're nowhere closer to finding him."

Meg rubbed her forehead. "I know. It's just that I have a lot on my plate right now."

Hercules put his hands on Meg's shoulders. "I know it's hard for you to deal with all of this after finding out about your family. Leave worrying about John to me and Jim- God knows that boy is worried enough for all of us. Go get some rest."

Meg took a step back, but Hercules didn't let go of her. "Hercules, you don't understand; Sinbad isn't above killing John if he doesn't get what he wants. And John won't give into him; he loves Jim. We have to find him before it's too late."

"We will."

"Captain!" Eric called out, hurrying up the stairs to them. "I think I know where Sinbad is; or, at least, where he's gonna be."

Hercules gave Meg an _I told you so_ look before leading Eric into his office. Meg quietly followed after them. Eric walked over to Hercules' desk and started rifling through the maps. He pulled one out and set it on top. He scanned it briefly, then pointed to a spot on it.

"There," Eric said.

Kocoum frowned when he saw where Eric was pointing. "Why would he be going there?"

"Since you and Pocahontas left that island, word spread quickly that it's now deserted. It's not far from here," Eric replied.

Phoebus shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. Why would he stop?"

Eric pointed at Phoebus. "Good question. Sinbad knows that we intend to go after him and get John back. But there's no way he's gonna give him up without a fight and a fight would damage his ship. And if there's one thing Sinbad loves more than anything-"

"It's his ship," Hercules finished for him.

Eric nodded. "He'll dock at that island and wait for us to attack."

"Are you sure?" Meg asked.

"There isn't another port after that for a couple hundred miles. We'd catch up to him before he could dock."

"I don't know about this," Meg said. "It seems awfully risky. I mean, there are countless places that Sinbad could be headed to. How are you so certain that _this _island is the right one?"

Eric glanced up at everyone, who were now staring at him, waiting for his reply. "You're just gonna have to trust me."

X X X

John twisted his wrists, feeling the rope rubbing against his skin. He tried to get into a more comfortable position, but it was no use; there was no way to be comfortable while tied to a post.

"You won't be able to get free," Sinbad told him.

John looked over at him. Sinbad was sitting at his desk, looking down at something while twirling a knife in his hand.

"Did you think that tying me up would somehow make me love you?" John asked.

Sinbad glanced up at him briefly, then looked back down at what was in front of him. "No. I just don't need you getting in the way."

"What exactly is your plan?"

"I'm gonna win you back."

"You're not off to a good start."

Sinbad smiled at him. "The battle hasn't started, yet."

John got a sinking feeling when he realized Sinbad was talking about an actual battle. "Nothing you do will change how I feel."

"You're wrong, John." Sinbad stood up and walked towards him. John eyed him warily as he knelt down in front of him. Sinbad rested his arm against the post and leaned forward. "I will get exactly what I want. _How _I get it is up to you. Clearly you chose the hard way, so this is all on you now."

"What is?"

"What happens to that boy."

John struggled against the rope, but it only seemed to get tighter. "What are you going to do to him?" he demanded.

Sinbad gave him a crooked smile. "That really depends on you, John. If you choose me, I'll let the kid live. If you don't, I'll kill him."


	8. Chapter 8

Hercules found Meg in the brig. Part of her knew he would and the other part hoped he wouldn't. She hadn't had any real alone time since she found out about her family's death and she needed some time to herself. Time to grieve.

"Now's not a good time," Meg told Hercules as he approached her.

Hercules sat down next to her. "I won't stay long."

He wrapped his arms around her and effortlessly pulled her into his lap. She curled up in his arms as if she were a child. He didn't say anything, he just held her close. Being like this reminded Meg of when she was little. Her mother would hold her like this whenever she got frightened or was sad. Meg hadn't thought about her childhood much after joining The Damned. But now it was all she could think about.

"Tell me about your family," Meg whispered.

"My mother was poor and my father came from a very wealthy family. 'It was love at first sight', my mom said. But, my dad's father didn't approve of her, so they eloped. He completely cut himself off from his family. But, my mother's family welcomed him with open arms. They started out with nothing, but my father was an incredible carpenter and eventually made enough money for them to live off of. They didn't have me until they could afford to take care of me. Two years after I was born they had my sister, Giselle. They all still live in the same village we grew up in. I heard my sister works as a seamstress now. She married a wealthy widowed lawyer and took his daughter as her own." Hercules gently stroked Meg's hair. "I can only imagine what you're going through. I don't know if I could handle losing my sister like that."

"It's a weird feeling," Meg admitted. "When I found out it was like I was free-falling and suddenly everything I knew was turned upside down. Like that story about the little girl who chased the rabbit and fell down the hole. Only I'm still waiting to land on solid ground. Right now it all feels surreal like I'm somewhere between reality and a dream. Like I'm just floating in a haze."

"The difference between you and that girl is you're not alone. I'm always going to be here; holding you and keeping you anchored."

"I know. But, I think I'd like to be alone for a little bit."

"Of course." Hercules kissed her forehead and eased her back down on the floor. "You know where to find me if you need me."

Meg nodded. "I'll be fine. I just need a couple minutes. I'll see you for dinner."

Hercules kissed Meg and stood up. Meg watched Hercules walk away. When she was sure she was completely alone, she started to cry.

X X X

"I'm not a villain, John."

"I disagree. Threatening to kill Jim makes you a villain," John stated.

Sinbad was sitting on the floor beside John and John had positioned himself so he was as far away from Sinbad as he possibly could be. Unfortunately, since he was still tied to the post, he couldn't get far.

"I'm fighting for you."

"I don't want you to fight for me, Sinbad. I don't _want _you at all."

Sinbad kept his head lowered. His hair had fallen over his face, hiding it from John. It was strange to be sitting so close to him. John never thought he'd see Sinbad again after he left, though part of him had hoped he would. Until he met Jim. It had been hard to get over Sinbad at first, despite trying to convince himself he was over him. Everything changed, though, the moment he first saw Jim. Since the day Jim joined The Damned, he was all John could think about.

But, nonetheless, sitting here with Sinbad was bringing back buried thoughts of Sinbad and John was afraid his old feelings would come back. Or, at the very least, he was in danger of getting caught up in the moment.

"This isn't exactly how I pictured this going," Sinbad told him. "It honestly never occurred to me that you might be with someone else. All I've wanted was to find you again and be with you. I was hoping so hard that you felt the same way that I guess I managed to convince myself that that was true." He glanced up at John. "But, I can't lose you again, John. I'm prepared to do what I have to to keep you this time."

For the first time since Sinbad brought him aboard his ship, Sinbad looked almost vulnerable. John looked away from him.

"It won't work," John said. "I belong to Jim."

"He's just a kid. He doesn't know anything about real love."

"His love is more real than anything you've ever felt."

"That's not true." Sinbad's voice was quiet now. "I loved you, John. I just didn't know how to show it; I was _scared _to show it. And I regret what I did. You have no idea how sorry I am."

John took a deep breath and was careful not to look at Sinbad. "Let me go, Sinbad. There's no need for anyone to get hurt."

"I'm already hurting, John." Sinbad repositioned himself so he was now in front of John. He gently put his hand on John's face and tilted his head so he was looking at him. "I need you, John."

John stared into his dark eyes and his heart beat a little faster in response to Sinbad's touch. He cursed himself for letting his heart react that way. "I need Jim."

There was no mistaking the pain behind Sinbad's eyes when he heard this. "John, please..." His voice was barely above a whisper. "I can't keep living without you."

This was the first time John had ever seen this side of Sinbad. Much to his horror, he found himself wanting to reach out and comfort him. To hold him like he used to. But then he thought about Jim. Jim was the one he really wanted to hold. John wanted to be with him again; he missed Jim desperately. He knew Jim must be worried and even scared right now. He wanted to tell Jim he forgave him for everything and that he was his- no matter what.

Sinbad leaned forward and kissed John. John turned his head away. Sinbad kissed his cheek and stood up.

"I love you, John."

John looked up at Sinbad. He was sad and hurting and there was something about the way he was looking at John that told John he really did love him. It made a knot tie in his stomach. But it didn't change anything.

"I love Jim."


	9. Chapter 9

Her name was Marina. Her arms were bound with tight rope, her ankle broken, her face covered in cuts, blood and dirt. Her eyes were pleading with John.

John had only met her once before and had blocked the memory. But now he was sure that after tonight he would never forget her. He couldn't help her, despite what Sinbad said.

Sinbad stood over Marina, twirling his favorite dagger in his hand. He winked at John, but John lowered his eyes. Marina tried to get her hands free, but Sinbad had spent years perfecting that knot and no one could escape once they were bound by him. She didn't give up, though. As she struggled with the rope, she called Sinbad every name she could think of. Sinbad seemed amused and almost impressed by her profanity. After a couple of minutes, though, her constant raving annoyed him and he back-handed her across the face to shut her up.

Marina tilted her head up towards him. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded.

Sinbad motioned towards John with the tip of his dagger. "For him."

"I don't want this!" John spat.

"I need you to see this," Sinbad told him, calmly.

"See what? You beating a girl? This isn't like you, Sinbad."

Sinbad grabbed Marina's hair and pulled her head up so she was facing John. "This isn't just some girl, John. Don't you recognize her?" John did recognize her, but he didn't answer. "Marina, here, is the girl I left you for."

John clenched his jaw at the memory of the day Sinbad left. Just before he walked off the ship, he made a big show of kissing Marina in front of John. John had been hurt at the time, but now the memory angered him.

"I want to show you that she doesn't mean anything to me," Sinbad continued. "She never did. It was always you, John. It _will_ always be you. I want you to see that; I have to prove it to you."

"No you don't," John said.

Still gripping her hair, Sinbad pulled Marina to her feet. She whimpered in pain.

"Let go of me, you creepy bastard," Marina snapped.

Sinbad snarled at her. "Shut up, bitch."

"Let her go, Sinbad," John said quietly, careful not to anger him.

"I don't think so." Sinbad put the tip of the dagger against Marina's throat.

"Please," Marina pleaded.

"Sinbad, stop!" John cried.

Sinbad glanced down at him. "Tell you what, John; choose me right now and not only will I'll let your boy toy live, I'll let her live, too. Choose the boy and I rip open her throat right now and then kill cabin boy in front of you."

John looked upon Marina's face with a heavy heart. "I'm so sorry," he told her. He then looked up at Sinbad. "I choose Jim."

Jim's name was barely off John's lips when Sinbad slit her throat.

X X X

Aurora looked down at the busy street from her window. After she found out about Phillip and her sister, she had gone to the local Inn. She didn't have a plan. Foolishly she thought she and Phillip could just pick up where they left off and she'd be able to leave her pirate life behind her. But now returning to The Damned seemed to be her only option. It was becoming clear to Aurora that being a pirate was a life sentence.

A breeze blew in from the open window and rustled through her nightgown. Aurora shivered in the sudden cold and closed the window. She walked back over to her bed and climbed under the blanket. The bed was significantly more comfortable than the hammock on the ship, but it still felt strange to her. She put out her lantern and lied down.

Aurora was just falling asleep when a there was a light knock on her door. Her eyes flew open and she glanced at the door. After a moment, there was another knock. Aurora pulled her knife out from under her pillow and quietly snuck across the room. She slowly opened the door and immediately held the knife out in front of her.

Phillip staggered backwards in shock. "Aurora, it's just me."

"I know," Aurora said, flatly. "Give me one good reason not to stab you."

Phillip arched an eyebrow in amusement, clearly not taking her seriously, which frustrated Aurora. She stepped forward, pressing the tip of her knife against his chest.

"You loved me once, Aurora," Phillip said. "Nothing has changed between us."

"Except that you married my sister."

"_You _left me, Aurora. I thought you were dead. Were you expecting me to wait the rest of my life for you to return from the grave?"

"No. But I didn't expect you to betray me, either."

Anger clouded Phillip's face. He took a s forceful step forward. The tip of her knife ripped his shirt and left a small cut on his chest. "You want to talk about betrayal, Aurora? You _deserted_ me. I was nothing but loyal to you and caring. I did _everything _for you and then you just left. No reason, no warning, no goodbye. All of a sudden you were just gone; off doing who knows what with God only knows who."

Aurora stared at him. "Why are you here, Phillip?"

"Because despite all of that, I still love you and want to be with you."

Before Aurora could reject him again, Phillip shoved her arm away from him and pulled her into a kiss. At first she didn't react, but then she thought of something. Sleeping with Phillip right now would be the perfect revenge. She dropped her knife and kissed him back.

Phillip picked her up and gently tossed her on the bed. Aurora gave him a wicked smile as he removed his clothes. In an instant he was lying on top of her. Aurora closed her eyes and imagined the look that would be on her sister's face when Aurora told her she slept with her husband.


	10. Chapter 10

Jim had been mopping the same spot for ten minutes before his distracted mind came back to the present. He sighed and stuck the mop back into the bucket of water. How was he supposed to concentrate on something so menial when John was being held captive?

Jim walked over to the ship's bow and looked out at the dark horizon. Eric said they'd be reaching the island soon and Jim hoped that was true. He couldn't handle this much longer. He had been doing nothing but worrying since Sinbad took John. Was John all right? What was Sinbad doing to him? Was John's old feelings for Sinbad returning? Jim was driving himself crazy. He needed to be with John again. He had to know that John was all right and that he hadn't lost him... in any way.

"Hey, Jimbo; what's going on?"

Jim flinched. He hated when Tiana called him that. He glanced over at her. She was carrying a large metal bowl filled with the leftover cooking scraps. "Worrying about John."

"You've got to stop doing this to yourself, kid," Tiana said as she dumped the scraps over the edge of the ship. "John is fine."

"I can't help it, Tiana. I love him and I'm hurting without him."

Tiana leaned her hip against the edge of the ship and rested the bowl on the ledge. "Jim, I understand that you're going through a lot right now and I can't even imagine what you're feeling... But, you've _got_ to pull yourself together."

Jim cocked an eyebrow at her sudden harsh tone.

Tiana sighed, but her hard look remained. "You're not in school anymore, Jim; you can't just neglect your responsibilities because you're heart-broken. There is absolutely nothing you can do to help John until we get to that island, so stop moping around and do your chores. I've been more than lenient with you for the last couple days, but enough's enough. I want every inch of the decks mopped and every single dish washed before you go to bed tonight. Do I make myself clear?"

"But-"

"No buts. Get to work." With that Tiana turned and made her way back down to the galley.

Just to spite Tiana, Jim waited a couple minutes before picking up the mop and getting to work. He had been ignoring the dirty dishes and knew he had a lot of work ahead of him. He'd be lucky if he got more than an hour of sleep that night.

"I couldn't help but overhear..."

Jim didn't have to look up to know it was Meg who had joined him on deck. He'd recognize he unique voice anywhere. The heels of her boots clicked on the wood as she walked over to the side of the ship.

"Tiana's _all_ work, _all_ the time," Meg sad. "You know she sympathizes with your situation, but for her work always comes first." She lit a cigarette. "I think she needs to get laid."

Jim stopped mopping long enough to give Meg an annoyed. "I don't really want to talk about that."

"Would you prefer we talk about John?"

Jim lowered his head and continued mopping the deck. "No."

"I'm gonna level with you, Hawkins; I think you're worrying is justified." Meg took a drag off her cigarette and blew out the smoke before continuing. "Sinbad is capable of every horrible thing you can imagine and then some. On top of that, Sinbad is sexy and charming and dangerous and just all-around attractive and appealing. And, knowing Sinbad, he probably has John tied up in his quarters. It would be really easy for John to fall right back under Sinbad's spell and-"

Jim slammed the mop on the ground and stormed over to Meg. "Why are you telling me this?" he demanded.

Meg was just bringing her cigarette up to her mouth, but paused and gave Jim a sad look. "I just want you to be prepared for anything when we catch up to them."

"Are you saying you think John will ultimately choose Sinbad over me?"

"All I'm saying is be prepared. John loves you, no one can deny that. But, lust is a very powerful feeling that can overcome love and make people do things that they wouldn't normally do and will later regret. If you get John back, and I'm sure you will, you have to be prepared for the fact that John may have given in and..." Meg let her voice trail off.

"And what? Slept with Sinbad?"

Meg slowly nodded.

"He wouldn't do that to me," Jim snapped, not sure if he actually believed that.

"Just like you wouldn't do that to him?" Meg retorted. "Let's not forget your little affair with Kida..."

"I never wanted or consented to that!" Jim spat.

Meg tossed her cigarette into the water and jumped off the ledge. She gripped both of Jim's shoulders and looked directly into his eyes. "It doesn't matter. You cheated on him. So if you find out that he did the same with Sinbad, you have to be understanding. You are in no position to get angry at him."

Jim shoved Meg away from him. "I was raped. I didn't have feelings for Kida and I sure as hell didn't want her. If John does anything with Sinbad it'll be because he still has feelings for him. It's a totally different situation and I'd every right to be upset."

Meg stared long and hard at Jim. Finally she said, "You're right; it is a different situation. You lied to John about, but he wouldn't lie to you. You're incredibly lucky to have John right now. If something happens between John and Sinbad and in the end if John chooses you, and he will, don't push him away. If you do, you'll lose him forever and you'll regret it for the rest of your life."


	11. Chapter 11

John's heart felt heavy as he watched The Damned approach Sinbad's ship. Sinbad and John were standing on the deck while the rest of the crew waited on shore. As The Damned got closer, John saw Hercules at the helm with Meg right beside him. The rest of the crew stood ready on the deck with their swords. John had no doubt that The Damned crew would prevail due to their kill-or-be-killed training from Kida when she was their captain. He wasn't worried about his friends. He was worried about Jim. Even though Sinbad killed Marina, John honestly didn't think Sinbad had it in him to kill Jim. Still, John's heart beat faster when he saw Jim and dread filled his stomach.

As soon as The Damned reached shore, the crew jumped off the ship and stormed towards Sinbad's crew. John and Sinbad watched the battle from the deck.

"Don't do this," John pleaded. His hands were tied to one of the masts and he also had a loose rope around his neck that tightened when he tried to pull free. He wanted so badly to break free and run to Jim. "My crew will kill yours. I'm sure you've heard all about our battles with other ships. You know they don't leave survivors."

Sinbad smirked. "You can call this off any time."

Sinbad walked to the top of the ramp and looked down at the small battle. He let out a loud, sharp whistle and everyone turned to look up at him. As soon as Meg saw him, she charged towards him. One man grabbed her, but she barely stopped when she stabbed him in the stomach and kept walking. Two more men grabbed her.

"Everybody, relax!" Sinbad called out. "I wish no harm to your crew, Hercules. I just want the boy."

All eyes turned to Jim. Jim glared at him and bravely walked up onto the ship. As soon as he saw John, he started running towards him. But Sinbad grabbed him and pulled him back. In an instant Sinbad had his sword unsheathed and pointed at Jim.

"You're standing in my way, boy," Sinbad snarled.

Jim attacked Sinbad with all the strength he had in him, but Sinbad was much stronger. Sinbad beat his sword against Jim's, causing Jim to stumble back. The crew of The Damned tried to get on the ship to help Jim, but Sinbad's crew fought them off. John struggled against the ropes, but the more he pulled at them, the tighter the rope around his neck got. Sinbad hit Jim in the face with the handle of his sword. Jim fell and his sword slipped from his hands. Sinbad kicked it away. He then beat Jim until he was barely strong enough to sit up right. Jim weakly reached for his sword and spit blood out of his mouth.

Sinbad laughed crouched down in front of Jim. "It's no use, boy. I'm going kill you and then John will be mine."

Sinbad pressed the blade of his sword against Jim's throat. With one hard thrust he could easily decapitate Jim. John's heart stopped beating for a moment.

"Sinbad, don't!" John cried.

Sinbad glanced over his shoulder, but didn't move his sword. "Why not?"

"I choose you, Sinbad. I want _you, _not the boy." The desperate words felt like fire on John's tongue.

Sinbad slowly stood up and walked towards John. "Prove it."

John glanced over at Jim's bloody face. Jim looked back at him with wide, hurt eyes. John tore his eyes away from Jim, took a deep breath and kissed Sinbad.

X X X

Ariel watched helplessly from behind The Damned as Eric fought the other pirates. She desperately wanted to help him, not being able to bear if something happened to him; but what could she do?

Ariel sank lower in the water to avoid being seen by anyone. Suddenly, something wrapped around her wrist and pulled her down. As whatever had Ariel swam further down, she tried to get her bearings. When she was finally able to recompose herself, she saw that Ursula was the one who grabbed her. Ariel fought to free herself from Ursula's tentacle.

"Don't bother fighting me, princess; you're no match for my strength."

"What do you want?" Ariel demanded.

"You are a potential interference in my plan and I have to get rid of you."

Ariel's eyes grew wide in fear. "What plan? Are you going to kill me?"

"Heaven's, no." Ursula laughed. "I may need you later on. I just need to make sure you won't be able to stop me."

"I don't understand."

"I need your Daddy's trident and I can't have you ruining things," Ursula said in belittling voice, as if she was talking to a child.

"No!" Ariel cried. She didn't know what Ursula needed the trident for, but the trident had the power to control the sea and everything in it and she knew she couldn't let that kind of power end up in Ursula's hands.

Ursula's heavily lipsticked lips curled into a snarl and she grasped the seashell hanging around her neck. She started chanting something while Ariel tried to get free. When Ursula stopped chanting the seashell started glowing and green smokey hands slithered out from it. They stretched towards Ariel. Ursula wrapped another tentacle around Ariel's wrist to keep her from getting away. The smokey hands forced their way down Ariel's throat and removed a ball of light. Ariel's throat suddenly felt raw and burned. The hands brought the ball of light back to Ursula's necklace and disappeared inside.

Ursula cackled and shot lightning out of her fingers towards Ariel. It wrapped around Ariel's fin. It felt like Ariel's skin was being peeled and burned off. When the lightning finally went away and the pain subsided, Ariel realized two things: she now had legs and she couldn't breathe.

Ursula let Ariel go. She didn't know what to do except that she needed air. At first she struggled to swim, but she managed to get herself to the surface. She flung her head back as she broke through the surface and took in a gulp of air. When she collapsed forward she noticed she was on the shore of the island.

"Ariel?"

Ariel's body felt exhausted. She wearily looked up to see Eric rushing towards her. He knelt down beside her brushed her hair out of her face.

"Ariel, what happened to you?" Eric asked, quietly.

Ariel tried to respond but, to her horror, she realized she had no voice.


	12. Chapter 12

Jim couldn't tear his eyes away from John kissing Sinbad. He was in shock and numb. He kept waiting for for John to pull away, but he didn't. It wasn't until Meg rushed onto the ship and grabbed him that everything started to sink in. John chose Sinbad. John was kissing Sinbad- in front of him.

"Jim, let's go!" Meg demanded.

Jim pushed Meg away from him, but followed her off the ship. Clearly there was nothing left for him on this ship. Now that Sinbad had what he wanted, he called off his crew and the fight was over. Some of The Damned crew had some minor injuries, but no one was dead. Meg made a point of shoving the nearest member of Sinbad's crew away from her as she got off the ship. Jim took one more glance back at John. He was no longer kissing Sinbad. Sinbad was giving Jim a triumphant smirk, but John had his head down with his usual blank expression.

Jim had only taken a couple of steps off this ship when the pain of his fight with Sinbad came rushing back. He let out a small moan and collapsed to his knees.

Meg turned around. "Jim, are you all right?" She knelt down next to him.

Jim glared up at her. "Go ahead, tell me I deserve this," he snapped. "Tell me this is karma for Kida. Tell me I don't have the right to feel upset right now."

"I'm not going to say any of those things," Meg told him. "Are you all right? Can you stand?"

Before Jim could respond, a low growl made everyone freeze. A large leopard was slowly walking towards everyone. The rest of Sinbad's crew hurried back onto the ship. Hercules was the first one to go towards the leopard.

From somewhere nearby Jim heard Pocahontas whisper, "Sabor."

Meg arched an eyebrow at her. "It's just an animal. Hercules has killed close to a hundred men; this will be an easy kill."

Sabor let out a louder growl as Hercules swung his sword at her. In an instant Sabor was charging at him. Hercules dodged her at the last minute and stabbed her in the side. She fell to the ground and Hercules stabbed her again to make sure she was dead. Pocahontas slowly walked towards them and looked down at Sabor.

"Tarzan fought Sabor many times and was never able to kill her."

Hercules ran his hand through his hair and sheathed his sword. "Tarzan has never killed a man in a battle. This was nothing."

Kocoum came up to Pocahontas and put a hand on her shoulder. Pocahontas put her hand on his. "This is our home, Kocoum."

"I know."

Pocahontas turned to look up at him. "I don't want to leave again."

Hercules walked away, leaving them alone.

"Tarzan's remains are somewhere on this island," Pocahontas choked out. "He's dead because of these pirates. Why are we still with them? We should stay here."

"Pocahontas, Kida killed Tarzan. Hercules and the rest of them are our friends. We have nothing left here."

"No. We have _nothing_."

Kocoum put his hand Pocahontas' cheek. "We have each other and our new friends. I know this place is making you emotional, but you have to get passed it. We have a new home now."

Pocahontas slowly nodded, knowing that as long as Kocoum refuses to stay she can't either. She didn't want to be alone.

X X X

Jim leaned against the door frame of John's bedroom. Just beyond John's window he could Sinbad's ship was still docked on the island. It was dark outside now, but its shadow still lingered, haunting Jim. Just beyond that window, inside that dark shadow the man he loved was with another man. Jim had managed to stay strong around the rest of the crew, but now that he was alone he let himself feel the pain that was gripping his heart. As Jim watched John kiss Sinbad it felt as if John had been standing in front of him with his hand wrapped tightly around Jim's heart, slowly pulling it out of his chest. That same pain still lingered and Jim wished his heart would just be ripped out of him so he could no longer hurt.

But it didn't go away. The pain and the memory loomed in him the same way Sinbad's shipped loomed in front of him. Jim wanted to be angry at John, but Meg had been right. Even if Jim hadn't wanted Kida, it still happened. And if this was how Jim was feeling after only seeing John kiss another man, he couldn't imagine how John must have felt seeing Jim sleeping with Kida.

A soft hand fell on Jim's shoulder, followed by an even softer voice. "Jim?"

Jim turned around, surprised to see Jasmine standing behind him. She gently touched her fingertips against his cheek and it was only then that Jim realized he was crying.

"I know it hurts," Jasmine said. "And I know nothing anyone can say or do will make you feel better."

"I'm fine." Jim didn't really know Jasmine at all and the last thing he wanted was to let her in. He never wanted to let anyone in again. With any luck he'd become as numb and unfeeling as Kida.

"No you're not. You feel like with him gone, your heart should be gone, too, right? But, instead it feels like your heart is being pulled towards him but it can't be with him- you can't be with him- and the pain is too much."

"How do you know that?"

Jasmine gave him a sad, half smile. "I felt the exact same way when I thought Aladdin was dead. I know it's not the even close to being the same situation, but it's the same hurt."

"I deserve this after what I put him through. John is better off without me."

"No one is better off without their soulmate."

* * *

**A/N: I want to thank each of you for following me through this story so far and through _The Damned _before that. All of your support and reviews mean so much to me. I would like to take this moment to recommend another Disney pirate story for you to read. It's called _Going Under_ by my friend, Street Mouse. Thanks again, everyone. I hope to have my next chapter up within the next couple days.**


	13. Chapter 13

Ariel let out a frustrated groan, but without her voice it sounded more like she was just letting out a breath of air; which was even more frustrating. After one of the girls on the ship gave Ariel some clothes, Eric took her into his office so she could explain to him what happened. Without a voice her options were miming it out or writing it down. Miming turned out to be a bust. The bigger downfall was that Ariel didn't know how to write in English. In Atlantica they spoke an entirely different language. She learned to speak English fluently from all of her time spent on the surface, but she never learned how to write it.

Eric took Ariel's hand in his. "Don't get frustrated. It's all right. We'll find a way to communicate with each other."

Ariel had longed to be a human since she first saw Eric. She had seen a lot of humans before, but Eric was the most beautiful. All she wanted was to be with him, that's why she ran away from home to follow his ship. But now that she was actually human and finally with him, she couldn't be happy. Knowing that Ursula was after her father's trident and most likely had a horrible scheme cooked up, while Ariel was left useless, made her feel sick.

"Can you draw pictures?" Eric asked.

Ariel slowly nodded. She could draw objects really well. Every time she found a human treasure, she would draw it and label so she would never forget what it was. But, she had never drawn living things before.

Eric turned to a new page in the pad of paper where Ariel had attempted to write out what happened and handed her the pen. She started out simple by drawing her father's trident.

"A trident?" Eric thought for a moment. "King Triton?"

Ariel nodded. She then attempted to draw Ursula. It was a poor drawing but, after a couple guesses, Eric got it. He picked up the paper. "Something about Ursula and King Triton's trident..." Ariel nodded, then reached over dramatically and snatched the paper out of his hand. Eric just stared at her for a moment, but then it clicked. "She's going to steal it!" Ariel nodded. "But what does that have to do with what happened to you?"

Ariel did her best to draw a picture of Ursula shooting lightning at Ariel as a mermaid and then beside it she drew herself as a human.

"Ursula turned you into a human?"

Ariel nodded. She then pointed at her throat and then at the seashell around Ursula's neck.

"She took your voice, too? Why?"

Ariel bit her lip as she attempted to draw a picture of King Triton hugging her. It took Eric a little while to figure it out, but he finally did. "So, let me get this straight; Ursula plans to steal the trident from King Triton, who is your father. So, she turned you into a human and took your voice." He paused as he thought about it. "So you wouldn't be able to stop her or warn your father?"

Ariel nodded, relieved that she was finally able to tell somebody what was happening.

Eric took her in his arms. "I'm so sorry. But, don't worry; we'll find a way to stop her."

Ariel was grateful to Eric for wanting to help, but she knew there was nothing he could to do stop Ursula from hurting her father.

X X X

Now that John had chosen Sinbad, Sinbad no longer kept him tied up. The two men sat in Sinbad's quarters while Sinbad planned their course for when they left the island in the morning. It was pitch black outside, but John knew the sun would be coming up in just a couple hours. They would leave and John would most likely never see Jim again.

During the kiss, everything that John had ever felt for Sinbad came rushing back and he found himself wanting to keep kissing him. But, as soon as the kiss ended and he saw the agony in Jim's face, he hated himself. He hated himself for liking the kiss, for betraying Jim and for hurting Jim. All at once John completely forgave Jim for what had happened with Kida. He now understood what it was like to be in that position. He hadn't wanted to kiss Sinbad, but he knew he had to. In those brief seconds, things felt different, but deep down John always knew that it was Jim he wanted to be with. He may have gotten caught up in the moment with Sinbad, but he didn't love him or have any feelings for him.

"I'm not stupid," Sinbad said.

John looked up at him, but didn't say anything. He was angry at Sinbad for what he made him do.

"I know you didn't actually choose me." Sinbad stood up and walked over to John. "I know you only did it to save that boy's life. Ya know, this whole time I thought there's no way what you have with him is real; he's just a kid. I honestly thought you would let me kill the boy the way you let me kill that whore. But you made the sacrifice and saved him. The kiss felt great, but there was nothing behind it. It was then that I realized I would never have you. I can now see that you really do love him."

"I told you that."

"I know you did, I just didn't believe it. But I have to now."

"It doesn't matter; you've won."

Sinbad shook his head. "No, I haven't. I meant it when I told you I love you, John, and I thought you could love me, too. But, you'll always love that boy."

"I'm with you now and come morning it'll just be us."

"I'm not a villain, John. I'm just a desperate man in love with someone he can never have." Sinbad looked away. "You have my permission to leave."

At first John didn't think he heard Sinbad right. "What?"

"Go be with the boy. Leave now before I change my mind."

John started to walk away, but stopped. He glanced back at Sinbad; he still had his head lowered, but John could see a single tear roll down his cheek. John walked back over to Sinbad and ran his thumb over his cheek, wiping the tear away. He didn't know what came over him, but he then gently kissed Sinbad. He let the kiss last longer than the first one before pulling away.

"I could have loved you once, Sinbad. But, I was always meant to be with Jim." John softly kissed Sinbad's forehead. "Good bye."


	14. Chapter 14

"Your form is getting better."

"Thank you." Jasmine ducked as Aladdin swung his sword at her and held up her own sword to block him.

"Who knows; we may make a killer out of you yet."

Jasmine stopped abruptly and Aladdin's sword nicked her arm. Aladdin instantly lowered his sword and examined the small cut.

"Are you all right?" Aladdin asked.

"I'm fine."

"I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to... Why did you stop?"

"I don't want to be a killer, Aladdin. I know you were trained to kill or be killed; but I'm not going to kill anyone."

Aladdin gave her a half smile. "I was only joking." He gently ran his finger over her cut. "I'm not training you to kill someone; just to defend yourself. Being a pirate is dangerous."

Jasmine sheathed her sword. "I've noticed."

"It's not too late to change your mind and go back home," Aladdin said.

"I'm not going anywhere. You can't scare me away, Aladdin."

"I'm not trying to scare you away. I'm trying to protect you."

Jasmine quickly pulled out her sword again and held it up to his throat. "We're not having this conversation again."

Aladdin easily knocked her sword away with his. "You're not very intimidating, princess."

Jasmine frowned, then kicked out her leg and knocked Aladdin off his feet. He landed hard on his back and she almost felt sorry- if only he hadn't called her 'princess'. She stood over him and straddled him so she was standing on each of his wrists, pinning his hands down at his side. She then pointed her sword at him.

"Don't call me 'princess' anymore, _pirate_."

Aladdin smirked at her, but didn't say anything. They both knew he could easily get the upper hand on her.

"Do you surrender?" Jasmine asked.

"Yeah."

Jasmine re-sheathed her sword and stepped away from him. Aladdin quickly got to his feet and grabbed Jasmine. In an instant his mouth was on hers. He picked her up shoved her against the mast. She wrapped her legs around him and held him tightly.

"What has gotten into you?" Jasmine breathed as Aladdin kissed her neck. She hoped it didn't sound like she was complaining, because she definitely wasn't.

Aladdin leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. "Sometimes it's hard to control myself around you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Jasmine gripped his hair and pulled him into another kiss.

The truth was, Jasmine had a hard time controlling herself around Aladdin, too. Everything about him made every part of Jasmine react in different ways. But, the physical attraction was almost as overwhelming as her love for him.

Aladdin's hands ran over her body and she sighed. He started to untie her corset, but heavy footsteps interrupted them. Aladdin lowered Jasmine to her feet and they turned to face who had approached them. They were shocked to see it was John.

"What are you doing here?" Jasmine asked quietly. "Did you escape?"

John shook his head. "I don't have time to explain. I need to talk to Jim; where is he?"

"The last time I saw him he was in your room," Jasmine told him.

John didn't say anything else. He turned and ran up towards his room. Jasmine and Aladdin exchanged glances, then looked over at Sinbad's ship; expecting to see Sinbad and his crew coming to attack to get John back. But, to their surprise, the ship was sailing away.

X X X

Jim lied awake in John's bed. He didn't know why he continued to torture himself by sleeping in John's bed. The door quietly creaked open and Jim wondered what female was coming in to try and get him to talk about what happened, thinking it would cheer him up. Meg, maybe; he hadn't really talked to her since the fight. Jim leaned over and lit the lantern beside the bed. When he turned back to face his visitor, let out a small gasp. John walked over to the bed and sat down.

Jim couldn't believe what he was seeing and all he could do was stare. He was in so much shock, he wasn't even sure how he felt about seeing him.

"Jim," John whispered. He reached out to touch him, but Jim pulled away.

"What are you doing here?" Jim demanded.

John winced at his harsh tone. "Sinbad let me go."

"So, now I'm your rebound? Sinbad didn't want you after all, so you come back expecting me to just take you back?"

"It isn't like that. Please let me explain."

Jim didn't want to hear what John had to say, but since John had let Jim explain after he caught him with Kida, Jim figured he owed John. "Explain."

John looked slightly relieved. "Sinbad gave me an ultimatum; choose him or he'd kill you. I thought he was bluffing, but when I realized he wasn't I did the only thing I could to save you. It was then that Sinbad finally heard me when I told him I love you. He let me go so I could be with you."

"The kiss didn't mean anything?"

John reached out and brushed Jim's hair off his face. "Of course not."

"And you didn't actually want to be with him?"

"I've told you before, Jim; you're the only one I want."

Jim didn't know why, but he suddenly felt like he was going to cry. He took a couple of deep breaths to fight back the tears. It was only then that he realized John, too, was getting teary-eyed. Jim flung himself into John's arms. John held onto him tightly and kissed his forehead then gently kissed his lips. Jim desperately kissed him back. John lowered him onto his back, then stared into his eyes.

"I can't lose you again," Jim told him.

"You never will."


	15. Chapter 15

John was aggressive with Jim that night. He didn't mean to be, but it had been so long since he had been with Jim and he couldn't control himself. He kept Jim pinned on his back. Jim didn't seem to mind, though. The two of them clung to each other as if they were each other's lifelines. John desperately and forcefully claimed Jim's body as they both quietly moaned.

After they violently climaxed, John rolled over onto his back. He let out small gasps and pulled Jim back into his arms. Jim was trembling slightly as his heartbeat slowly came back down.

"I'm sorry," John told him. "I couldn't control myself."

Jim gave him a mischievous smile. "It's all right." He rested his head on John's chest

John could tell he was getting sleepy. John brushed Jim's hair back so he could see his face, then he kissed the top of his head. "Dream of me."

Jim sighed. "Always."

John listened to Jim's even breathing as he fell asleep. As the fog of passion slowly drifted away, John started feeling guilty. He felt guilty for being so rough with Jim. And he felt guilty for not being completely honest with him. When Jim asked if he had wanted to be with Sinbad, he should have been honest and told him that he momentarily had wanted it during the kiss. And when he asked if the kiss meant anything to him, he should have told him the second one did. John had only meant to kiss Sinbad the second time as a way of comforting Sinbad and telling him goodbye; but it felt like more than that. It was hot. Everything John felt for Sinbad was just physical. But everything about being physical with Sinbad had felt great. Still, it was nothing compared to making love to Jim.

John could kiss Sinbad a thousand times and it still wouldn't feel as good as kissing Jim once.

"Jim," John said gently. "Jim, wake up."

Jim's eyes slowly opened and he looked up at John. "Yeah?"

John pulled Jim on top of him so Jim was looking down at him. "I love you more than anything."

"You woke me up to tell me that?" Jim asked, sleepily.

"I needed you to know that."

Jim smiled. "I love you, too."

John reached up and softly touched Jim's lips. "Kiss me," he whispered urgently.

Jim slid his hand behind John's neck and pulled his head up to his. As soon as their lips touched, John's heart started to race. He sat up and wrapped his arms around Jim. He could feel Jim's heart beating as quickly as his own. John gripped him more tightly; he couldn't bring himself to let go of him. He was suddenly afraid of losing him again. He knew he couldn't handle being away from him again.

Nothing was going to separate him from Jim again. John would make sure of that.

X X X

John woke up in the middle of the night. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep. Jim was lying beside him; wrapped up in John's arms. At some point before going to sleep, they had put their pants back on but left their shirts off. John closed his eyes and enjoyed feeling the warmth of Jim's bare skin against his.

John kissed Jim's neck. Jim stirred slightly. John kissed his neck again, then left a trail of small kisses down to his shoulder. John lightly ran his fingertips over Jim's arm, giving him goosebumps. He smiled and continued giving Jim small kisses.

"I missed you," Jim told him.

"I missed you, too," John whispered into his ear. "I was sure being apart from you would kill me."

Jim rolled onto his back and gave John a half smile. "You're exaggerating."

John kept his face serious. "My body ached to touch you the whole time I was gone. The need to be with you was _so_ overwhelming. And the further I got from you, the more I could literally feel my heart breaking. No one can live without their heart."

Jim reached out and touched John's cheek. It was then that John realized he had let a tear escape. Jim's hand then slid down to John's chest.

"We're together now," Jim said.

"I won't let anything come between us again." John put his hand over Jim's. "My life depends on it."

"The pain was almost too much for me, too," Jim said, quietly. "After you chose Sinbad it felt like my heart was slowly being ripped from my chest."

John felt the twinge of guilt again. "Jim, I'm so sorry about that. But, I couldn't let him kill you."

Jim lowered his eyes. "I was wishing he had."

John hated himself. "Jim..."

"But then you came back." Jim smiled at him.

John smiled back at him, though it felt a little forced. How could he do that to Jim? Jim was everything to him and he hurt him so bad he would have rather been dead.

"I never thought I'd feel a love this strong," John said.

Jim kissed him. He completely forgave John for what he had done just a few hours ago. But, if he knew the whole story, would he still forgive him? Would he be kissing him right now? John didn't think so. He knew he owed Jim the truth, but he needed Jim and he couldn't lose him. Again.

"Man overboard!"

John and Jim pulled apart when they heard the shouting coming from the deck. They got out of bed and hurried to the deck. Everyone had gathered at the edge of the ship and were looking down at the water. Adam and Shang were in one of the life boats being lowered into the water by Flynn.

"What's going on?" Jim asked.

"There's someone floating in the water," Mulan told them. "There's no other ship around; we don't know where he came from."

Everyone watched as Adam and Shang retrieved the man from the plank he was floating on. When they rowed back to the ship, Flynn, Aladdin and Kocoum helped pulled the man onto the ship. Hercules and John were immediately at the man's side. He was conscious and John checked to make sure he was still alive. He was.

The man looked to be in his mid thirties. He was dressed all in black, complete with a black, leather, trench coat. Under his eyes was smudged black eyeliner. He had some minor wounds that suggested he had been in a fight recently. But, the thing that everyone found themselves staring at was a hook in the place of his left hand.

* * *

**I had to update again. I've been having JohnxJim fluff withdrawls. _supersmashkingdomhearts9902_, I haven't heard from you in a while; I hope all is well. This chapter is for you. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

The crew of The Damned stared expectantly at the stranger while he stared at the sword Meg had pointed at his throat.

"Who _are _you?" Meg repeated.

The man with the hook had woken up just a few minutes ago and Meg got right to the chase; before he could even sit up, she had her sword to his throat and was demanding to know his name and what happened to him. She and everyone else all assumed the same thing: that somehow his ship had been attacked by Ursula. Eric had told them about what happened with Ariel and the crew had been uneasy ever since. Ursula was powerful on her own, but with the trident she would become unstoppable.

The stranger finally tore his eyes away from Meg's sword and looked up at her. "My name is Killian Jones. But, you probably know me as Captain Hook."

"Never heard of you," Meg stated.

Killian looked briefly disappointed and slightly insulted, but he recovered. "Nonetheless, my ship was attacked and stolen and most of my crew was killed. I don't know what happened to the rest of them."

"Attacked by who?" Hercules asked.

Killian's eyes scanned the group of people surrounding him. "The Kraken."

No one said anything for a moment. Flynn was the first to break the silence with a small laugh. "The Kraken is just a myth."

Killian glared at him. "I thought so, too; until it killed half the crew."

Flynn was still giving him an amused smiled. "Did the Kraken steal your ship, too?"

"Don't be absurd!" Killian snapped.

"Me? Absurd? You're the one who claims he was attacked my a mythical creature."

"Enough!" Mulan snapped. "Mr. Jones, who stole your ship after it was attacked?"

Killian suddenly look embarrassed and he lowered his eyes. "A woman."

_It had to be Vanessa, _Meg thought. "Was this woman inhumanly beautiful with dark hair?"

"No. She had white hair and was with a brawn-for-brains man."

The ship became deathly still. Kida and Gaston. Not only did they have a ship but they were also working with the Kraken- if it actually existed, which Meg wasn't convinced that it did. This man could not have been floating in the water long, which meant they had to be close.

After a long period of silence, Killian cleared his throat. "Anyways, I appreciate the rescue, but I need to be brought to the nearest port immediately."

"We can help you get your ship back," Hercules said. "We know the man and woman who took it."

Meg gaped at her fiancee. "Are you insane? We need to get as far from Kida and Gaston as possible."

Killian took advantage of Meg being distracted to finally stand up. "Thank you, Captain; but I have something more important to do than go after my ship. However, I _do _need a ship and crew to help me. So, if you don't mind, please drop me at the nearest port."

Hercules gave him a friendly smile. "You're already on board a ship with an able crew. What is it you need help with?"

"I need to rescue my daughter."

Meg lowered her sword. "Your daughter?"

Killian nodded. "Aye. Her name is Melody; she's seventeen. Her mother died giving birth to her, so she grew up with me on my ship. About a year ago we shipwrecked on the island Neverland."

"You've actually _been_ to Neverland?" Merida blurted out.

Surprised, everyone turned to look at her. "You know of it?" Hercules asked.

"Kinda. There was a girl in my village named Wendy who told stories about it."

"What stories?" Killian asked.

"She said there was a young boy who lived there who never grew up and there was something about lost boys..." Merida said, trying to remember everything Wendy had said. At the time she thought they were just silly made up stories, so she didn't pay them much attention. "She said they were adventurous and friendly and-"

Killian interrupted her with a laugh. "Wendy is a fool. Peter Pan and his lost boys are certainly growing up. Peter himself is eighteen. And they're not friendly; they're ruthless killers. I don't know how she came up with those stories, but they're not true."

"What happened after you shipwrecked?" Shang asked, trying to get back on subject.

"We were attacked by Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. My entire crew was killed. Peter was about to kill me, but Melody stopped him," Killian hesitated and cleared his throat again. "Peter fell for Melody. He took her captive and demanded she stay on the island. I fought to get her back, but I was outnumbered. I was eventually knocked unconscious and set adrift in the ocean, left to die. But not before Peter cut off my hand and fed it to a crocodile. I was rescued by a passing fishing boat. From that moment I've thought of nothing but getting my daughter back. I put a hook in the place of my hand and vowed to kill Peter. Unfortunately, since we found the island by accident, I didn't know where it was. It was only recently that I discovered its location. I was on my way there when the Kraken attacked."

Hercules put his hand on Killian's shoulder. "We'll help you get your daughter back."

Killian gave him a wary look. "What do you want in return?"

"Nothing," Hercules replied.

"Everything has a price."

"Not with Hercules," John told him.

"Wait just a second!" Meg snapped. "Hercules, a word?" Before Hercules could say anything, Meg was dragging him away from everybody else. "What is wrong with you?"

"I don't understand."

Meg crossed her arms over her chest. "We don't know this man. First he says he was attacked by a mythical creature and now he's telling us that his daughter is being held captive on an island from some little girl's stories. The man is insane!"

"He could be telling the truth."

"What if he's not? What if he's working for Kida? What if he guts you with that hook of his in the middle of the night and takes over the ship?"

"I understand your concern, Meg. But just trust me, okay?" Hercules walked passed her, back to Killian. "Killian, we'll take you to Neverland, as I said; but there is one condition."

"I knew it," Killian muttered. "Name it."

"We're going to disarm you until we reach the island."

Killian instinctively put his hand over his hook.

"Do we have a deal?" Hercules asked, extending his hand.

Killian hesitantly shook Hercules' hand. "We have an accord."

* * *

**Note: I used Killian Jones from Once Upon a Time because I find Captain Hook from the animated Disney movie to be creepy and a character that wouldn't get much sympathy. For those of you who aren't caught up with Once Upon a Time, don't worry; this story will contain no spoilers for the show (as far as I know- at this point season 3 hasn't started yet and if we end up finding out that Killian has a child that was taken by Peter Pan, it's all completely coincidental). **


End file.
